Until the Day We Die
by Orpheus Kidwell
Summary: Warrior. Leader. Conqueror. Ruler. Naruto Branwen was born with little, and gave his family much. The Wastes feared his arrival. His men sang his legend. The Kingdoms lamented their death as their corpses fed his war machine. There is no good; there is no evil; there is only his family and those that would stand in their way.
1. Trailer

**Until the Day We Die**

 **Trailer**

Silence swept through the village of Marigold, a settlement on the eastern border of Vacuo made up of a dozen families, at most. The full moon above reached its zenith to mark midnight and only the crackle of torches and the soft footsteps of the garrison patrolling the walls of the fort protecting it could be heard. It was quiet. It was peaceful. It was… temporary.

 **[Insert We're Going to War by Pagan Fury]**

The first warning the guards received was a soft, but regular rhythm that they didn't quite understand. It was unfamiliar, but ominous.

 **The night is deep.**

As it grew louder, the garrison began to congregate near the gate closest to it, trying to see what it was. Soon, the beat of several drums in unison became clear. It had grown so deep, so loud and so all-encompassing that villagers were pulled from their dreams, making their way to see what the commotion was. The guards had no answer, and the few that thought they might hoped they were wrong.

 **Nobody is asleep.**

When the source finally came into view, the villagers wished they hadn't left their beds. Now that they saw where it came from… there would be no sleep this night. There may not even be a tomorrow.

 **Focused and wide awake.**

A group of warriors, fifty or sixty in total, were making their way towards the village. The leader was a blonde teenager with shoulder-length, blonde hair and a pair of piercing, blue eyes which glowed dangerously in the night. Dressed in a dark blue and long-sleeved gambeson, wielding a rather sharp looking ax – balanced with a nasty-looking spike – and a large, round shield of steel in his off-hand, there was no question as to his intentions. The rest of the men – outside of the four with drums – were similarly armed with spears, swords, rifles, bows and everything in between. The drummers had weaponry as well, they just had not taken it upon themselves to wield them yet. Just behind the leader was a single person bearing the infamous standard of the blonde, a scarlet flag with a white raven, wings spread wide.

 **That rumbling sound, drums are beating loud.**

As the group got just fifty feet outside of the walls, they halted. As soon as their leader stopped, his men did so as well. The cacophony died out the moment the leader halted his step. His steely gaze met that of the Captain of the Guard, who had taken it upon himself to stand atop the wall. He looked down at the group with his own men assembled and ready to fire their weapons at a moment's notice.

 **Victory is coming our way!**

The previously clear sky, as if it felt the tension, had filled with dark clouds during this time. With the shattered moon now hidden behind them, the guards and the citizens couldn't help but feel an added amount of fear. The rumors were true… By the Gods were they true.

 **When the lightning strikes through the storm!**

The teen smiled at the Captain and his men as he spoke. It was without hesitation. It was without worry. He spoke with a command so thorough, that the guards thought he might be their commanding officer for a moment. "Citizens of Marigold, I come as an emissary from the great Branwen Khanate! Our leader has seen it fitting to welcome your settlement into her protective wing, to welcome you into our mighty nest! She has even sent me, her heir and only son to give you the message! All that we ask in exchange is a small sum, in order to fund our efforts to keep you, your families and your city protected from the dangers of the Blight. What do you say?"

 **The Earth is shaking down to the core!**

The Captain had trouble for a moment, but found his voice finally. "We will not bow to uncivilized tribals and raiders!" He shouted from his precipice. "Leave now and you can keep your life." If the Captain's voice wasn't shaking, then his men sure were. This only seemed to make the soldiers behind the blonde laugh loudly until he gave them a look, silencing them.

 **And the thunderclouds above warn!**

"Are you rejecting our kind offer then?" The boy wondered. When the Captain nodded his head, the boy shook his own. "That is quite unfortunate. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but it seems I've no choice." He turned to his men. "It seems that mother's kindness is being rejected. Of course, there is only one course of action. They've spat upon her mercy, her generosity! You know how I feel about people that insult my kin." The men shouted a battle-cry at the top of their lungs, beating their weapons against their shields. "Kill the guards, capture the rest." In the silence, his words were deafening to the village.

 **Then you know we're going to war!**

The men didn't have time to rush, and the guards didn't have time to fire, as one of the clouds released a bolt of lightning that scored a direct hit on the wall just above the gate. The caused guards and civilians alike were blown back as the gate was tossed towards the village center. To those that were watching the blonde in the moment it happened, they would've seen his blue eyes become a bright white as lightning struck.

 **The world's in fear.**

The tribals ran past their leader as he walked forward. His irises remaining that milky white as the clouds began to open up, indiscriminate in who was drenched. He found the Captain of the Guard, who was slowly regaining his footing after he had been thrown from his post atop the wall. He had his sword in hand as he looked around and tried to figure out what was going on. Their eyes locked and the guard found what was left of his courage, bracing for battle as he brought his own kite shield up in defense.

 **The sky's in tears.**

"I know who you are. You're Naruto Branwen." The Captain stated as he fell into a stance. "You're the one who's been attacking the other tribes… people back in Vacuo won't stop talking about you. Why are you here?"

Naruto, as he was named now, gripped his ax tightly and grinned. "I wasn't attacking them. I was uniting them. Under the White Raven's banner, the Branwen will bring together the Blight under my mother. These men here, they're from a dozen tribes. They're from families that fought tooth and nail to survive, against settlements and each other. I've given them purpose, unity, ambition. Now… now we turn our eyes towards the rotting corpse of the Kingdoms to feed. If settlements won't join willingly, then we'll rob their nests and feed the opposition to the Grimm."

 **Gather your men for the fight.**

As the two leaders faced off, Naruto's own tribesmen did what he said. The armed guards were being slaughtered by the numerically superior tribals. Whatever bullets they fired did little against Auras they weren't prepared to grind down. The tribals struck true and without mercy, leaving the civilians able to do nothing besides cower or run. They stopped running after the first one was killed with a throwing ax to the back of the skull.

 **The heavy rain surrounding rising flames.**

The Captain was surprised by the calm tone that Naruto delivered the cruel metaphors in. He was more surprised when he suddenly rushed forward, ax nearly splitting his skull. Only by reflex did his shield come up in time to save him. Even still, he suffered for it as the Lightning Dust from Naruto's ax channeled through his steel shield and armor to deliver a painful blow to the man's already damaged Aura. Spasming on the floor, he could do nothing as Naruto approached him and ran the spike on the back of his pommel into his skull, ending his life prematurely.

 **Only the strong will survive.**


	2. Chapter I: Rite of Passage

**Until the Day We Die**

 **Chapter I**

Dawnbreak came, as with any other day. As the sun rose to greet the White Steppe – an area of the Kingdom of Vale set between the White Curtain, the mountain range which housed the Grand City of Vale, and The Empty Quarter, the largest contiguous sand desert of Vacuo that marked its southeasternmost border – it caused a particular boy to stir awake. With the first rays of the day warming his face, Naruto Branwen opened his eyes from his spot on a grassy hill, where he had fallen asleep the night before.

Naruto was tall for a boy his age, measuring nearly six feet when fully standing. His blonde hair – a trait his father had given him – ran to his shoulders and was spiked all the way down, his bangs coming down to frame his face – which was as fair as his mother's. A pair of azure eyes situated on his face seemed to almost swim with a mist just far enough away you were never sure whether it was there or not. He wore a dark blue gambeson, long-sleeved and thick enough to protect him from any assault he might expect to come across. Finally coming to his feet, he stretched his body to loosen the stiffness in his muscles from a night outside his tent. He simply found it more comfortable to sleep under the broken moon than in his sleeping bag, though.

Leaning against a tree, he found his trusty companions. Perun was his ax. With a shaft of sturdy, redwood fitted with a sharp and thick blade on one end, a spike of metal on the other to balance it – both made from tungsten. Next to Perun was Prydwen, his shield. Large enough to cover a third of his body when standing and painted a deep red, with a white raven whose wings were spread, it was a gift from his mother. He placed the ax in its holster on his hip and his shield on his back. He would need both of them. Today… today was the day he had been looking forward to for years. It was…

"Ah, it's good to see you're already up, Naruto. Couldn't wait for your first raid, huh?" The blonde turned when he heard the voice and smiled at the figure, nodding his head. It was his mother's cousin and leading commander, Cathal Branwen. He stood over Naruto by several inches, with a hammer hanging from his waist and a similar shield to his own on his back, though the background of his was green. Just like Naruto's mother, he had coarse, black hair – his kept very short – and a pair of bright, red eyes. "That's understandable, it's an important time. You'll finally become a man today."

Naruto nodded. "I couldn't sleep inside last night, I was just so energetic. I had to come out here and get rid of some of it, but I just ended up falling asleep again." His gaze turned skyward, to the moon that was still visible in the early hours. "I'm not worried… I guess I'm just excited is all." Cathal motioned for the boy to follow him, speaking as they did so.

"Listen, Naruto, even though there shouldn't be any issues given this is your first raid, it's important to remember that we're still going out into a fight. I've done my best to train you since you were 8, and for the last seven years you've really made me proud – your mother too, for that matter. Just keep calm and remember your training – both from her and me. I think that everything will be fine. This is your chance to show everyone that you really are your mother's son, that you deserve to be her heir, and that anyone who challenges that right will be in for a difficult time. Everyone will be watching you, seeing how well you come out of this. I don't want to pressure you, but it _is_ important. Not only for you, but for us as well."

The blonde nodded his head. He knew all of this, but having Cathal put it into words did help a bit. He needed to do his best, to show everyone that he deserved to be a part of this family, even if he didn't quite look like them. "I understand, Uncle Cathal. You don't have to worry. I'll make sure that I make both mom and you proud." He smiled and ruffled the boy's hair, causing Naruto to protest. "Stop that! I'm not a kid!"

"Until we leave, you are. Let me have my fun, ya runt." Chuckling, Cathal stopped, causing Naruto to halt his steps as well. "I won't lie to you, Naruto. I have very high hopes for you. Not only that, but I really want you to do well. Raven's a lot younger than I am. You're going to have to replace me sooner or later as her trusted commander. That's why I handled most of your training, the things that I could, anyways. With her brother gone, she's really had to handle far too much, and that's why I stepped up. She's going to be counting on you, and so am I. You have a lot that's expected of you, but you've also been born with things that no one else has ever seen."

Naruto did his best to keep his nerves from showing, but just grinned. "You're not dead yet, old man. There's no reason to bring that up." Cathal smiled back.

"Aye, I suppose you're right. Let's get going then. There's a few things to do before the others gather up. Preparations are light, but you have to learn how to do these things some time."

 **[Raven's Tent]**

In the center of the Branwen Tribe's camp was a large tent that looked more similar to the Velian military's central command than the temporary homes of the other tribals. With a pentagonal roof and a sturdy material used for its creation, it was not difficult to tell that it belonged to the leader. Within was a single woman, the chieftess of the Branwen Tribe and former Huntress – Raven.

She was tall, far taller than most men with wild-looking black hair that ran far down her back. Though she usually donned a terrifying mask, she was absent that today to reveal the face of a red-eyed beauty that seemed more likely to be in front of a camera than in the front of a battle. Around her neck hung an assortment of necklaces that ended just above her red and black armored kimono, which was tied tight enough around her body to be practical but not so much as to constrain her movements or reveal too much of her figure – though it was difficult to hide such a thing completely. Laying on the floor next to her was her trusty weapon, Ravager, though the empty hilt was in her lap as she sat cross-legged on the floor. Though lost in contemplation, her scarlet vision turned to the tent flap as her son and cousin stepped in, bowing to her.

Raven stood, inserting her hilt into Ravager's rotary scabbard before holstering it in its position on her hip. "Are the preparations complete then, Cathal?" He had already risen and nodded the affirmative. "Excellent." She then turned her attention to her son. "And what about you, Naruto? Are you ready?"

"Absolutely, mother." His response was short and respectful, as always. He always did his best to garner her approval, after all. She noted that beneath the strict facade, however, he was barely keeping himself contained. Perun let a loose spark manifest here, or his eyes would shine a little brightly there, things of that nature.

"Be careful that you don't lose control, Naruto. Your emotions are inexplicably linked to your powers and I don't want needless casualties on something so trivial." The blonde seemingly only just noticed the fluctuation of his Aura and was able to restrain it, lowering his head apologetically. Looking at him, she motioned Cathal to leave them for a moment. After he was gone, Raven placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the boy to look up.

"I understand that it is difficult to control your powers. It was for me as well. However, your training is coming along nicely and you will prove an immense asset to the family once you've mastered it. I know that you're ready for this first raid, Naruto. You mustn't allow your excitement to handicap you, however. There is a place and a time for battlelust, for berserkers, but this is not it. You have a little too much of your uncle and your father in you for your own good… but you're also my son so I know you can do it."

The blonde was quiet a moment before smiling. "Thank you, mother. I'll do my best to make you proud." Raven nodded and motioned him to follow her out the tent.

"Come. We have work to do."

 **[Two Hours Later]**

The Grand City of Delta lie in the fertile lands of a river valley – as its name might suggest. It was built on the banks of the Mispel Estuary, making it a prime location for farming and trade. It's defenses were sturdy, thanks to the economic significance, but nothing that was unassailable by the Branwen Tribe. The tribe's camp had been situated very close to the Mispel River thanks to the boats they had… acquired in a previous raid upstream from a wealthy merchant. Running off of Dust, the three vessels carried the tribe's six dozen fighting men and women quickly towards their destination.

Raven, standing at the fore of the lead ship, captured the attention of her compatriots with a single wave of her hand. "Ready yourselves, and take what you can." There was no need for a reply as Raven's eyes began to shine with a fiery aura that extended to either side of her head. The two guard towers that loomed over the river's entrance into the city found themselves collapsing quite suddenly as several fireballs struck their foundation, leaving large holes in the infrastructure.

Screams could be heard within Delta at the explosions, and that only seemed to cause the tribe to shout a battlecry in response. The ships pushed past the defensive gate with Raven's adequate use of Gravity Dust to blow it into the city itself, creating further pandemonium. As soon as they were close enough to do so, the men and women jumped from the boat and into the streets. Naruto, who was with Cathal at Raven's side, looked at his mother. "They will take care of the looting. It is our job - as the head of this family - to take care of the opposition and ensure that the loot has somewhere to go. Cathal and you will ensure that no one endangers our transportation."

"Where will you be going, mother?" Naruto wondered.

"I have… something in particular that has caught my interest in this city. I'm going to get it and then I'll be back, but you shouldn't require my assistance." Raven unsheathed her sword and slashed at the air, creating a portal as she did so. "Take care." She stepped into the rift and disappeared from sight. Cathal grasped his cousin's shoulder and motioned him to the deck of the ship.

"Come, we must be on guard." As they walked, the man's Aura fired up, casting a bluish light on the ship until several copies of himself rose out of the metal frame of the ship made of the same material. "Man the guns." He commanded them, watching as the doppelgangers scattered and took to traveling below deck on all three ships and ready to fire the various cannons that each ship was equipped with.

Naruto looked out amongst the city, trying to spot anything making its way to the ships, hand on the pommel of his ax as his nerves built up in anticipation. "Cathal, surely there can't be enough valuables in this city to fill all of our ships?" The blonde couldn't help but wonder. Cathal nodded his head.

"You're correct. The men will raid for valuables that can be sold in Vacuo, for sure, but that's not all they're tasked with collecting. We also gather food and wine, as well as some of the people that can be captured. Raven will decide whether they stay with the tribe or go to the markets in Mistral personally, she has an eye for these things." Naruto nodded, knowing what it would mean for someone sent to the Market in Mistral. It wasn't actually in Mistral, perse, but the black market of the Kingdom of Mistral. Slavery might be technically illegal everywhere but Vacuo, but the people in Mistral never cared much for the law.

Thinking about how much cargo space they had below deck, Naruto realized that there was enough room for an immense amount of the loot Cathal had talked about. While thinking, he noticed something from the corner of his eye and reacted without realizing it – raising Prydwen to his left as it deflected the steel head of an arrow which had been zipping towards Cathal. His cousin smiled to him, thanking the Branwen heir with a tilt of the head before pulling out his own bow.

"This is where things truly begin, my boy." The older man commented with a wizened smile as he let his own arrow loose, finding its mark in the chest of his would-be killer, where the Explosion Dust took effect and turned what would have been his corpse into a bloody mess of red paste that stained the nearby floor and walls of shops.

There was no time to think about that, though, as other people Naruto assumed were members of the guard were approaching the ships. He had to assume they'd decided taking out the ships themselves would keep the bandits from leaving, so they could capture them - or at least keep their looting to a minimum if they escaped anyways. Taking Perun in his hand, he grinned. It was time.

Uncaring for the infrastructure of the city, the cannons let their first volley loose on either side of the river that cut Delta in half. Men, women and building alike were susceptible to the attacks, which were laced in various Dusts for added effects. Here the ball of steel exploded into thousands of fatal fragments, there lightning shook the earth and killed guards where they stood, over there fires raged and consumed entire parts of the town. The volleys continued with the practiced grace of Cathal's doppelgangers to such a degree that by the time anyone actually had to board, they were limited to a half dozen, from the dozens of individuals who had begun. It wasn't the cannonballs themselves that did that, but the Dust they brought with them.

"Filthy tribals! You'll pay for this!" One, probably the leader, shouted at them as he drew a sword. Naruto had assumed that considering he was dressed in full plate with a visorless helmet. Cathal looked at Naruto, nodding. The blonde grinned and stepped forward to meet the challenge.

"If you think you can, then ready yourself. The Branwen Tribe only takes what is ours by right." The leader seemed taken aback by Naruto's youth, which the blonde used to his advantage as he rushed forward with lightning sparking from Perun's blade. The leader quickly brought his shield up to block it, pushing back against the reckless charge that Naruto had led with. Keeping his feet, the boy only grinned wider as he sidestepped the leader's own lunge, swinging his ax down on the extended arm of the man who was too slow to pull back. He wasn't dismembered, but the shock of the Dust forced him to drop his weapon.

Naruto didn't have time to end it, though, as the other guards had seen fit to take action, surrounding him on all sides. He didn't lose his grin as his eyes shone a bright, neon white. As they tried to attack him, that same neon white manifested itself into a makeshift barrier, an extension of his Aura a foot from his body which halted their blades. Channeling his Lightning Dust through his Aura, he watched as they began to spasm before falling to the ground, smoke rising from their bodies. The neon white aura around his eyes disappeared before he approached the leader of the men.

"Take his head, Naruto. With it, claim your rightful spot as my heir… and as my son." Raven's voice spoke. The blonde, surprised that his mother was here, simply gave her a nod and pulled the groaning man's helmet off, exposing his head and neck to the world. With a single chop – as if his was cutting firewood – he split the man's head from body, taking his first life. "With your first kill, you have proven yourself a man before the tribe and before myself." She smiled, a soft smile Naruto hadn't seen in some time. "I am proud of you, Naruto."


	3. Chapter II

**Until the Day We Die**

 **I have returned from my hiatus! And I come bearing a quad upload as an apology to those who are still here. As well as a few announcements.**

 **Essentially, the real world came crashing down upon me and my ability to write very much suffered for it. However, I believe I've taken care of things to such a degree that I can get things here taken care of in some capacity. That said, my list of stories has become quite barren in the process.**

 **What I've done is take down everything but my active stories (currently only four) and will be putting all of my old stories (outside of The Ice Duo, because I lost the files for that) into an archive fic should anyone want to delve back into the terrible writings of my past sometime in the next month. The stories that I still have going will receive regular updates each week. I'm also going to shoot for longer chapters to make up for less uploads.**

 **Outside of that, I'm quite happy to be back and writing again, and I hope you guys are excited for what's to come.**

 **Chapter II**

It was a day after the looting of Delta that Naruto found himself - and his family - afloat along the northeastern coast of the Kingdom of Vale, heading towards the Noxian Sea that separated the continents of Anima and Sanus. Aboard the ship which Raven had named Summer, the lead ship of the trio she had acquired for the tribe, he was near the bow of the iron-clad vessel and watching for any Grimm that might threaten their voyage. There had been no incidents thus far, and he wasn't sure whether he was happy or discontent with that. Still, they had cargo they needed to keep intact, so it was likely for the best.

"Anything to report?" Hearing his mother's voice, Naruto perked up and turned to regard her. She was without her mask - an uncommon occurrence, but there was no one to identify her that wasn't of the Tribe out here, so it made sense.

"I haven't seen anything yet." He replied, doing his best to keep his hand from Perune. "It's really quiet. Are you sure we have anything to fear taking this path? Isn't the market we're heading for pretty good at keeping the waters peaceful for their visitors?" Raven looked past her son, towards the open ocean before them.

"Never expect others to do your job for you, Naruto. It is a grave mistake to make assumptions about safety, one that has cost me dearly - both within and outside the tribe. It is always better to be a little too strong, a little too prepared and a little too harsh than to risk losing the people you love." Raven stared off into the water as if she saw someone in the distance before shaking her head. "Still, reminiscing about my Huntress days wasn't why I came here." Looking over her shoulder, the chieftess motioned for one of her family members to come over. "Let Dylan take over for a bit. I need you belowdecks for a moment." This piqued Naruto's interest, but he complied without a word. Following after his mother to the captain's quarters, he stifled his curiosity as best he could.

Raven signalled for him to come to the desk that was bolted down to the floor. It usually held maps and cartographic tools for the captain to track their voyage, but all of those things were discarded in favor of a rather long, wooden box. He wasn't quite sure what it held within, but it was only making it harder to contain himself. Flipping the latches open, his mother slowly opened the box as she spoke. "Delta wasn't our target just because it was unguarded and rich in profits for the tribe. I wanted to pick up something for you, as a gift for succeeding in your first raid with the tribe. That city happened to be home to something… special. I'm sure my brother will be unhappy with my taking it, but if it's for you I'm sure he'll forgive me."

Looking in the box, Naruto noticed that it held a pair of daggers, both made of a silverish metal and resonating with a type of Dust he wasn't familiar with. The blades were curved and set in hilts made of another material he wasn't familiar with, though it was certainly some sort of leather. Within the crossguard lie a gemstone - one dagger had a white one, the other was red. Reaching out, he took the dagger with the ruby in hand, surprised that it was warm to the touch, but not so hot that it would burn him. As soon as he touched it, he realized his Aura had fired, but it wasn't the usual gold he was used to. It was a red as bright as freshly drawn blood, as red as the gemstone in the dagger.

"These were the weapons of my best friend, Summer Rose. The red one there is Lancaster; the white one is York." She explained as Naruto found a mechanism on Lancaster, surprised when it shifted from a dagger into a revolver. "She was an indispensable member of our team… even if she was a bit reckless. Still, she was the one who kept STRK together… I loved your father, and your uncle, but if it wasn't for her we never would have truly been a team."

"What happened to her?" Naruto wondered as he placed Lancaster back into the box. Raven was quiet a moment, contemplative. His mother was the more quiet sort, but this was different. It wasn't her usual stoicism, this was definitely hesitance. He definitely was not used to something like that from her.

"Summer was... the excitable type." Raven began. "That's not to say that she was quick to anger, quite the opposite. She was just very passionate about being a Huntress. Generally speaking, there were few who could match either her determination or her prowess. I'm not sure when that woman actually slept, if I were to tell you the truth..." She smiled at that. It was a soft smile, the kind that Naruto knew she never showed the other tribesmen.

Raven shook those memories from her head. "One day, however, that determination took her in the wrong direction. You see, my brother and I didn't really see eye to eye about the Tribe. After he got a whiff of what the Kingdoms were like, he abandoned us. The comforts of Vale, the softness of the people, their weakness... he wanted to be a hero. I left the team to take control of the Tribe, and he stayed on in Vale as the Headmaster's right-hand man when he should've been mine." The anger in Raven's eyes when talking about Uncle Qrow was something Naruto _was_ used to seeing though.

"After that, I just couldn't bring myself to bring your father in. If I couldn't trust my own flesh and blood not to betray me, how could I possibly bring in an outsider? Taiyang was a good man, a strong fighter but he... was far too much like Qrow. They may have had very different personalities, but their ideals were the same. He wasn't hard enough to be by my side here in the Tribe. I loved him but... that is something that I could not ignore.  
"So I left. I retired from the team, and I came back here. Qrow was supposed to lead the Branwen and I was supposed to support him. We went to Beacon to gain the strength we needed to surpass those who dared oppose us, but it only split us apart. So I took the mantle of chieftess. I didn't realize that I was with child however. Then I had you and your sister. I could feel it within the two of you... the power."

Naruto couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips as his mother placed her hand on his head, ruffling his spikes. "I knew you were destined for greatness. But I wouldn't have another pair of twins growing up only to split, so I kept you, and I gave your sister to Taiyang. Ultimately, I knew that it was more likely for you to be accepted by our family than she would be. Despite my position, I'm only here because of my strength. Another chieftess taking power might rile up the Tribe if she wasn't up for it. Plus, I knew Summer would take care of little Yang.

"Still... I was under the wrong assumption. Taiyang had retired and become a teacher at Patch. Qrow gathered information rather than fought on the frontlines. I thought that things would be fine. When I found out that Summer had even had her own daughter, I was sure she would retire as well. However... she and I were not as different as I thought, it seems. She just couldn't put down her weapons. After she was recovered from childbirth, she went on missions again. Of us four, only she remained on as a field operative, and a solo one at that. Maybe it was something in her blood that couldn't let her keep still. One day... she never made it home.  
"One too many Grimm and late reinforcements was what it took to finally put her down." Raven remarked, stroking York softly. "It was protecting that village we just sacked, Delta. It seems that they didn't increase their defenses even over a decade since then. These so-called civilized folk are too soft, too reliant on others. It did make retrieving them that much easier though." Pushing the case that held them towards her son, Raven met his eyes. "I want you to carry on my best friend's legacy, Naruto. Perun marks you as a Branwen, but let these mark you as my son."

The blonde nodded and reached out, taking the two revolvers. "I'll take good care of them, mother." He replied. Looking upon the boy, Raven found herself feeling lighter. She wanted Naruto to be the inheritor of Summer's will, and she knew he wouldn't disappoint her.

"Now, let's get to Nexus to drop off some of this perishable cargo."

 **[Nexus]**

The Floating City of Nexus was an interesting establishment, Naruto thought. Unlike a normal city, the entire settlement was actually built upon large, wooden platforms connected with bridges. It was a collection of inns, brothels, restaraunts, stands, stalls, towers and the Bazaar. He'd never actually been to or seen a Bazaar, but it was enormous. An entire fifth of Nexus, at least, was dedicated to it. Hawkers lined every meter of the roads, announcing their wares to the passerby. Food, Dust, technology, weapons, jewelry, art and everything in between. This in-between also included that which Raven had come to sell today, slaves.

The blonde stuck close to his mother as they wandered through. It was not as if he was afraid of someone trying to rob him. He was sure of himself in any combat situation. On top of that, you were required to check your weapons in at the front gate to ensure no blood was spilt within the city. In such a circumstance, Naruto was even more sure of his victory against most people, considering he still had other means of defending himself. No, he stuck close because he was afraid of getting lost. There were _so_ many people here that he was sure he'd easily get lost in the crowd.

A few minutes later and they reached what Naruto assumed to be their destination. While empty now, there was a relatively large wooden platform raised above the floor, a bit like a gallows. However, this one was missing the noose and instead was used to present slaves during an auction. There was a man giving orders to other people in the area. The boy couldn't really tell if they were employees or slaves of his own though. "Clover."

Even though Raven did not raise her voice, the man immediately turned to her. He was quite a bit shorter than either of them, only coming up to Naruto's shoulders at best. A darkly tanned complexion showed that he was a man who worked in the sun nearly constantly, while his brown eyes shone with a strange mixture of excitement and nervousness when he saw Raven. "Ah! Ms. Branwen! It's always a pleasure!" It was probably the mask. Outsiders tended to find it unsettling.

"I have some new stock for you, fresh from Delta." Clover's eyes widened at that statement. "The exact number is 117 men, 68 women and 22 children. I've already got everything documented here for you." Removing a stack of papers from her kimono, she handed them over to him. "I can assure you their good health and condition, though I know that may not continue after your customers are done with them."

Clover nodded as he leafed through the papers. "This is a very good haul, Ms. Branwen." He noted as his eyes scanned the documents with practiced mastery. He'd been doing this a long time and knew exactly what to look for. "I think that I can make quite a profit off of these for you. I'll take my cut, of course, but you know how this goes already. It has been some time since you've been here though. Did you run into any trouble?"

Raven shook her head and sighed. "My last vessel was... damaged by that Kraken in the Cape. We were content to roam the land of Vale for a time after it happened, but I recently acquired three new ships. This time, I made sure they were heavily armed, and I'll probably increase their capabilities as well. The sea is unforgiving, but so am I." Clover swallowed at the news.

"A Kraken? I see... if you survived that then you really are formidable." Raven leveled her gaze at the man, causing him to visibly sweat.

"I didn't survive, I killed the damn thing. That ship was difficult to acquire and had more cargo space than all three of my current ones combined. It was sturdy and built well. I was not very happy when it happened, nor am I now having to remember it." After a moment, she sighed. "That is, however, neither here nor there. I'll be waiting at the docks for your men to come pick up my cargo. I also expect my 20% upfront payment to be made."

"Of course, of course, Ms. Branwen! Think nothing of it! Enjoy your stay in Nexus. Someone will be there by sundown, of course. I guarantee it."

"Come, Naruto. Let's find something to eat. These Outsiders are soft, but their food is certainly exceptional."


End file.
